Intentional connections design tenet

Intentional connections foster a sense of community, ensuring students feel supported and engaged with both peers and with you. This resource outlines why this tenet is important, how you may implement it, and what QM standards are aligned.  

Strong peer connections and connections with their instructor are linked to higher engagement, persistence, and academic success, especially in online and hybrid environments (Martin & Bolliger, 2018; Garrison & Cleveland-Innes, 2020). 

Strategies

We can implement intentional connections in several ways

•  Design opportunities for frequent, meaningful feedback and interaction. 
• Use discussion forums, virtual office hours, and collaborative projects. 
• Scaffold learning so students can practice new concepts and receive timely feedback. 

When you foster intentional connections with your students, you not only enhance their sense of belonging and participation, but you also address important elements that contribute to meeting QM standards, such as promoting substantive instructor-learner interaction, regular feedback, and inclusive engagement opportunities 

Standards directly impacted by this tenet are: 

• Specific Review Standard 1.3: Communication guidelines for the course are clearly stated. 
• Specific Review Standard 3.5: The types and timing of assessments provide learners with multiple opportunities to track their learning progress with timely feedback. 
• Specific Review Standard 3.6: Assessments provide guidance to uphold academic integrity. 
• Specific Review Standard 5.2: Learning activities provide opportunities for interactions that support active learning. 
• Specific Review Standard 5.3: The instructor’s plan for regular interaction with learners in substantive ways during the course is clearly stated. 
• Specific Review Standard 5.4: The requirements for learner interaction are clearly stated.